Chapter 3

Three days after the miscarriage, Lucien came to the main house.

Several servants followed behind him, carrying jewelry, dresses, and a saddle.

I recognized some of the pieces.

The black pearl brooch had been pinned to me by the old Mrs. Moretti herself on the day I married into the family.

The deep red cashmere wrap was the one Lucien had draped around my shoulders on my birthday.

And the saddle had belonged to my favorite chestnut mare.

Before I married into the Moretti family, I used to ride her along the trails near the Hudson Valley for hours at a time.

Then Lucien decided Mrs. Moretti ought to behave with more dignity and stop thinking about running off alone.

Not long after that, the stable keys stopped being given to me.

Lucien looked at me, his tone unusually gentle.

“Vivian is moving into the estate in a few days. I’m giving these to her first.”

I nodded.

“All right.”

“She’s used to living on her own terms. A lot of things here don’t suit her.”

“All right.”

“She likes that horse.”

“All right.”

He stared at me for a long time, then suddenly smiled.

“And Vivian agreed.”

“She’s willing to stay with me openly now.”

I nodded.

“Congratulations.”

Lucien seemed to be waiting for me to lose my temper. To question him. To sweep every tray in front of me onto the floor.

Instead, I said calmly,

“I suppose all of New York will know how important she is to you soon enough.”

The smile in his eyes faded.

At last, he said only, “Get some rest.”

After he left, two servants whispered in the hallway.

“Miss Sterling really is something. The Don doesn’t even care about the family’s old rules when it comes to her.”

“I heard he’s holding a huge celebration for her at the private estate in the Hudson Valley. After that, who would dare call her some mistress he keeps hidden away?”

The other servant lowered her voice.

“You know, Mrs. Moretti used to love going out too.”

“But after she married him, the Don kept saying she didn’t act like a Moretti wife. He barely let her go anywhere.”

She paused.

“Now Miss Sterling does the exact same things, and suddenly he thinks it’s charming.”

I lay there staring at the ceiling.

The celebration would be in the Hudson Valley.

Not at the Moretti estate.

Which meant I would finally have a chance to leave.

I called Mia over.

“On the day of the celebration, get me something easy to move in.”

Her eyes immediately reddened.

“Mrs. Moretti... are you finally going to fight for him?”

I nodded.

“Yes.”

Let them believe that.

I didn’t want Lucien to turn back to me.

I wanted to disappear from this estate that day.

And from Lucien’s world.

A maid was checking the measurements for my dress when Lucien walked in.

He came over and adjusted my cuff.

“This color suits you.”

Footsteps sounded outside.

Vivian stood in the doorway.

Her gaze swept through the room before settling on me.

She smiled.

“The Moretti estate really is nice. Lucien said I could choose any room I wanted.”

She laughed softly.

“I don’t like most of the others.”

“Clara’s is the only one that actually feels comfortable.”

The maid’s expression shifted.

Vivian seemed to realize only then how that sounded.

She turned to Lucien.

“I’m not trying to take Clara’s things.”

“If it’s inconvenient, forget it. I can sleep in the stables.”

Lucien was silent for a moment before looking at me.

“Clara, Vivian won’t be staying in the main house often. Maybe...”

I smiled.

“Fine.”

“She can have the room.”

Both of them froze.

I looked down and smoothed my cuff.

“I’ll move out after the celebration.”

I was leaving anyway.

The room no longer mattered.